Mineral oil treating system



March 17, 1953 J. E. KLUEGER MINERAL on. TREATING SYSTEM Filed F e b- 8, 1949 OIL IN noroa ta l I} 'l I .I ll

REMOVABLE seqnqg ron cnuaan'nom $$a vv SUPPLY HOPPER sckaw couvevon SPEED CONTROLLER cnusuwrma RECEIVER.

HOPPER TO FILTER HOPPER AIR JET DIR JE-T IN VENTOR.

JOSEPH E. KLUEGER- ATTOIENEY.

Patented Mar. 17, 1953 MINERAL OIL TREATING SYSTEM Joseph E. Klueger, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to I The Standard Oil Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Application February 8, 1949, Serial N 0. 75,209

3 Claims.

In refining liquid hydrocarbons, for instance lubricating oils, in some cases it has been customary to contact an adsorbent agent, such as clay, with the oil, and then filter. While it is a relatively simple matter to supply the liquid component in continuous manner, properly metered or proportioned, there has been no entirely satisfactory way of continuously feeding the clay component. Possibility of operating in continuous manner with maximum efficiency, as in certain other refinery operations, has accordingly been much desired. By the present invention, it now becomes possible to employ continuous type treating of liquid hydrocarbon by a pulverulent solid, in any desired proportion and rate, and with consequent new efiiciencies. Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in'which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational semi-schematic illustration of a plant equipment in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, slightly enlarged, end elevational view of the structure at the left-hand side of Fig. 1, part of the structure being in section to show the interior element; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary side elevational details of the same portion, but showing slight modifications.

In general, the invention provides a treating tank T with an oil feed inlet 2 coming from suitable pump and metering equipment, and an oil outlet 3 below which may lead to a filter. A valve 4 may be provided, this ordinarily being open, but being useful for emergency purposes. And within the tank is an agitating means, such as a motor-driven stirrer 5, and emptying into the tank is a feed connection from a bulk supply 6 of the pulverulent treating agent, this being forwarded to the tank T by a forwarding means having controllable speed regulation to deliver in continuous manner the desired proportion of the pulverulent treating agent as determined by the oil-feed.

The pulverulent treating agent ordinarily pre.. ferred is clay, and this may be of customary contact grade, or of special acid-modified type. Likewise, other pulverulent treating agents,'some forms of diatomaceous earths, decolorizing carbons, or more active materials such as lime, etc., are equally applicablewith the apparatus. And, while lubricating oil is for the most part involved as the liquid treated, other hydrocarbon liquids, petroleum distillates, etc., can similarly be dealt with.

In order to forward the pulverulent clay or the like in proper rate, the bulk supply hopper 5 communicates with the conveyor 1, which comprises a casing and a screw therein. This conveyor affords reliable positive feed. For the drive, an

adjustable speed is provided, and this may comprise a motor 8 with a speed controller 9. Such motors and controllers for quite a wide range of speed variation are commercially available, and require no detailed mention. It is'important that the rate of clay fed to the tank be correctly corelated to the speed rate of the motor drive. And for this, a portion of the feed line is removable for the purpose of initial calibration, and a section II), for instance, with flange connection, can be provided so as to readily permit its removal and thus allow discharge into a calibrating receiver H "to measure the feed at the various rates of motor speed. Thus, starting at the lowest speed rate of the controller, the amount of clay delivered to'the receiver -H per small unit of time may be accurately determined. Then, with the control set at its next higher speed point, again the feed delivery per time unit may be determined by the measuring receiver, and again successively through the other speed stages 'of the controller. For any given speed stage of the controller, then, the'rate of delivery of this material is established, and can be applied in ratio desired with a decided rate of oil feed. With the calibration established, the section Id of the casing is put back in place, and for the material to be employed, the calibrating receiver I I is then no-longer required. In the event that a different contact pulverulent agent is to be used, the feed delivery rate for it may of course similarly be determined or calibrated to the speed controller.

A characteristic of such pulverulent material as provided in a bulk supply hopper or the like is the proneness of the clay or the like to hang or arch and thereby defeat the requirement of an even continuous feed. An aspect of the present invention accordingly involves means to prevent such contingency, and while in some cases this may not be necessary, it is desirable to incorporate in the lower portion of the bulk supply container or hopper a means for imparting motion or agitation in the pulverulent clay above the conveyor. A desirable arrangement for this, as in Figs. 1 and 2, may include a rock shaft l4 journaled in the lower portion of the supply hop-. per, such rock shaft carrying agitator plate means l5, whereby as the shaft l4 oscillates, the agitating plate-like element l5 rocks up and down as a shaking means in the path of the body of clay on its way to the conveyor, and the agitator plate is a positive means for shifting the clay. The rock shaft, thus by having a crank 16 on its external end, and such crank being joined by a connecting rod I! to a crank l8 on the end of the shaft of the motor conveyor, provides the desired rocking movement in synchronism with the movement of the conveyor element. The feed of the clay in this manner is precise and positive from the bulk supply to the treating tank. Ordinarily, no particular difliculty from excessive wear or friction in the conveyor casing is incurred, but if any grade of clay tends to occasion such diificulty, oil of the same character as in the treating tank can be supplied through lubricators at one or more points along the casing.

While the rocking shaker type of agitation is preferred for insuring positive feed in the bulk clay supply, in some instances a sufiicient vibration or jarring may be had by attaching vibrator motors 20, Fig. 3, to the outside of the lower portion of the hopper. Commercial forms of vibrating motors with unbalanced rotors are available. Two or more may be applied. The vibrator motor may be controlled for operation as desired in any given instance. Less desirably, agitation in the lower portion of the hopper may be provided by two or more air jets 22, Fig. 4, air or inert gas being forced therethrough at sufficient pressure to insure against packing and hanging of the pulverulent clay. Thus, pressure of 100 lbs., gauge, may be applied.

In the process, the hydrocarbon liquid or oil is supplied to the treating tank through the feed line 2, and simultaneously the clay is forwarded from the bulk supply 6 at the desired proportional rate as controlled by the speed controller, and the motor-driven stirrer 5 being in operation, the liquid and pulverulent solid are intimately mixed and contacted thoroughly, and may be run off to the filtering equipment. As readily seen, the feed rates of liquid and powder can be. relatively adjusted in any desired proportion, and the throughput rate can be set as desired.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctl claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a tank having an oil inlet in its upper portion and an outlet below, agitating means in said tank,

means for feeding pulverulent clay to said tank including a screw conveyor casing and screw therein leading to the said tank, means for calibrating said feeding means including a removable section in said casing over a measuring receptacle, an adjustable speed drive means for said conveyor, a clay supply hopper communicating with said conveyor, a rocking element in the lower portion of said hopper, and a drive for said rocking element synchronized with said conveyor, including a rock shaft carrying said rocking element, a crank on said rock shaft externally of the hopper, a crank on the conveyor screw shaft, and a connectin rod between said cranks for rocking said rocking element.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a tank having an oil inlet in its upper portion and an outlet below, agitating means in said tank, means for feeding pulverulent clay to said tank including a screw conveyor casing and screw therein leading to said tank, means for calibrating said feeding means including a removable section in said casing over a measuring receptacle, an adjustable speed motor driving said conveyor, a clay supply hopper communicating with said conveyor, and a vibrator motor on the lower portion of said hopper.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a tank having a liquid inlet in its upper portion and an outlet below, agitating means in said tank, means for feedin pulverulent contact material to said tank including a conveyor casing leading to said tank, means for calibrating said feeding means including a removable section in said casing over a measuring receptacle, an adjustable speed drive for said conveyor, a bulk supply container for the pulverulent material communicating with said conveyor, a rocking element in the lower portion of said container, and means for synchronizing movement thereof with the conveyor drive.

JOSEPH E. KLUEGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,250,526 Swan Dec. 18, 1917 1,628,747 Salisbury May 17, 1927 1,677,691 Smith July 17, 1928 1,732,465 Gardner Oct. 22, 1929 1,766,211 Baylis June 24, 1930 2,121,486 Merchen June 21, 1938 2,222,475 Brandt Nov. 19, 1940 2,260,087 Neill Oct. 21, 1941 2,264,438 Gaylor Dec. 2, 1941 2,292,897 Nielsen Aug. 11, 1942 2,326,294 Gee Aug. 10, 1943 2,429,751 Gohr Oct. 28, 1947 2,472,459 Banks June 7, 1949 

1. IN APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A TANK HAVING AN OIL INLET IN ITS UPPER PORTION AND AN OUTLET BELOW, AGITATING MEANS IN SAID TANK, MEANS FOR FEEDING PULVERULENT CLAY TO SAID TANK INCLUDING A SCREW CONVEYOR CASING AND SCREW THEREIN LEADING TO THE SAID TANK MEANS FOR CALIBRATING SAID FEEDING MEANS INCLUDING A REMOVABLE SECTION IN SAID CASING OVER A MEASURING RECEPTACLE, AN ADJUSTABLE SPEED DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID CONVEYOR, A CLAY SUPPLY HOPPER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CONVEYOR, A ROCKING ELEMENT IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID HOPPER, AND A DRIVE FOR SAID ROCKING ELEMENT SYNCHRONIZED WITH SAID CONVEYOR, INCLUDING A ROCK SHAFT CARRYING SAID ROCKING ELEMENT, A CRANK ON SAID ROCK SHAFT EXTERNALLY OF THE HOPPER, A CRANK ON THE CONVEYOR SCREW SHAFT, AND A CONNECTING ROD BETWEEN SAID CRANKS FOR ROCKING SAID ELEMENT. 